1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bumper for use on a pickup truck or other similar vehicle comprised of a stainless steel portion. More specifically, the present invention relates to a stainless steel bumper and a method of making a stainless steel bumper by attaching two essentially horizontal mild steel components to upper and lower edges respectively of a vertical stainless steel component, and by using a plastic cap and a plastic base plate cover to conceal the mild steel components and the upper and lower edges of the vertical stainless steel component.
2. The Prior Art
Frequently, pickup trucks are sold without rear bumpers or rear bumpers are installed during the useful life of the vehicle as a customized feature or as a replacement for a damaged bumper. Bumpers having a shiny appearance are particularly popular with consumers. Frequently, such bumpers have been chrome-plated. However, environmentally conscious consumers do not like the environmental implications associated with chrome-plating operations, and for this reason, prefer bumpers constructed of stainless steel. Also, bumpers constructed of stainless steel do not chip when dented as do chrome-plated bumpers.
Although it has been possible to employ stainless steel in the construction of bumpers, the difficulties in forming and polishing such bumpers have made them substantially more expensive than chrome-plated bumpers.
The present invention allows a stainless steel bumper to be manufactured at lower cost than one-piece stainless steel bumpers and at lower cost than chrome-plated bumpers.